Recently I received an email-forwarded open letter about Islam that at first glance seem to be well-written and "sensible." (see link below) It definitely IS well-written, but it uses persuasive logic to accomplish the very same results as a far more obvious piece of inflammatory propaganda. Its craftily disguised purpose is to increase fear and suspicion of people perceived as "different," in this case Muslims. Remember, there ARE Muslim American soldiers fighting and dying in our military service in Afghanistan and other places. "Saturation" of the internet, (as recommended in the email) with fear, suspicion and hate, no matter how appealingly couched in superficially-reasonable wording, will accomplish nothing toward resolving differences and building trust with our neighbors, whether they are Muslims, Jews, Bhuddists, Christians, Hindus, Urantians, or what-have you.
Americans are Americans until proven otherwise are they not?
Why don't some people question the sincerity, patriotism, and "religious" ethics of those who lie and pander to whoever will listen to their ranting over the air waves and TV, (or the owners of same)? Or those engaging in misrepresentation in the halls of Congress in order to further their own personal interests in acquiring money, fame, or power at the expense of the rest of us? Or those who apply their strategic and fund-raising abilities to dupe our people in to believing that those who would do us harm are really our saviors? To wit: Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Rupert Murdoch, the Koch Brothers, John Boehner, Tom Coburn, Michele Bachmann, Jim Inhofe, Jim DeMint, Mitch McConnell, Dick Armey, Karl Rove, etc., etc., etc., to name but a few. They would divide us as Americans in order to conquer their political opponents using almost any means they can conceive of to drive us apart and sow suspicion and fear among us. (I would concede that there are some Democrats who also bend the truth and opt for personal interests over the common good, but I have seen or heard of nothing that compares to even one of Beck's tirades or DeMint's reality-twisting
pronouncements.)
Responding to another point made in the email (link below), it seems to me that it seldom occurs to some Americans to consider the astounding number of innocent lives lost in other countries because of our actions in pre-emptive war and highly questionable tactics and practices during Wartime, such as in the Gulf War (some of which cost many innocent American lives as well, both during and after the war. I spent several years researching the effects of occurrences during the Gulf War on returning veterans and discovered many, many disturbing aspects of our military activities in Iraq.).
I admit to having the same qualms any other relatively normal person does about people and things I don't know much about or understand. But I refuse to contribute to further division within our country by forwarding email that fails to at least attempt to promote goodwill. Somewhere I read something about a "Golden Rule." Would that apply here?
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If you wish to read the email in question, follow this link:
http://www.snopes.com/rumors/soapbox/worryme.asp
